El Jaish booked their place in the quarter-finals of the 2016 AFC Champions League yesterday, but not before being given the fright of their lives in a 4-2 loss against compatriots Lekhwiya that saw Sabri Lamouchi’s side advance with a 6-4 aggregate win.
Lamouchi’s team had won the first leg 4-0 but El Jaish were not assured of their place in the next phase of the competition until Romarinho scored his side’s second with 20 minutes to go and after Lekhwiya had been reduced to 10 men following the expulsion of Chico Flores.
Alain Dioko Kaluyituka gave Lekhwiya the lead before Sardor Rashidov levelled for El Jaish. However, two goals from Ismail Mohamed and a penalty from Nam Tae-hee gave Djamal Belmadi’s side real belief they could complete a remarkable turnaround.
However, Romarinho’s goal – a fine drive from outside the area – sealed El Jaish’s place in the quarter-finals, the first time the club has qualified for the last eight of the AFC Champions League.
Needing to win by four goals, Lekhwiya made a rapid start and, with just eight minutes on the clock, Kaluyituka struck from close range after Karim Boudiaf glanced Ali Hassan Afif’s cross into his path.
But with eight minutes left in the half, Rashidov had levelled on the night for El Jaish, knocking the ball home after Romarinho’s pass.
With only 45 minutes remaining in the tie and with little left to lose, Lekhwiya came out for the second half with all guns blazing. Mohamed tapping in from close range after Ali Afif’s low cross three minutes after the restart.
Four minutes later, the deficit was reduced further when El Jaish goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar misjudged Boudiaf’s long ball forward and Mohamed stroked the ball into an empty net after controlling the pass on the edge of the area.
Lekhwiya’s challenge looked to be at an end on the hour mark, however, when Flores was sent off for a second bookable offence when he upended Yasir Isa, but by the 65th minute the visitors had scored again, Nam netting from the spot after Mohamed Methnani had handled in the area.
But just when the seemingly impossible was on the verge of happening, El Jaish steadied themselves with a goal from Romarinho in the 70th minute, with the Brazilian hitting a low shot from 20 yards into the bottom right corner of Amine Lacmote’s goal to send Lamouchi’s team through.